The present invention is directed toward a socket wrench extension and more particularly toward such an extension which provides means for readily and easily locking and unlocking a socket to the end thereof.
Various quick-release mechanisms have been developed over the years for socket wrenches. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,208,318; 3,532,013; 3,564,954 and 3,815,451. Such devices provides means for locking a socket onto the drive stud of a wrench and for releasing the same when desired. Many of these devices have met with much success.
These prior devices are useful when a socket is connected directly to the driving stud of the wrench or similar device. However, when an extension member is utilized between the wrench and the socket, the quick-release mechanism only functions between the wrench and the extension member. The socket is merely force fit onto the other end of the extension member.
Several proposals have been suggested in the past for providing an extension member with a release and/or locking means for the socket mounted at the end thereof. One such device is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,722. The adapter or extension member of this patent has a substantially hollow bore with a spring biased pin therein. The forward end of the pin includes a cam surface which normally locks a locking ball in the locking position. When the pin is moved forwardly, the ball falls into its unlocking position. The pin is moved forwardly through the use of a specially designed wrench which includes a button at the back thereof. the button can be manually pressed from the back of the wrench. This, in turn, pushes a pin through the head of the wrench and through a central opening in the wrench drive stud which engages the pin in the extension member to move forwardly.
To the best of Applicant's knowledge, the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,722 has not proven to be commerically valuable. This is, perhaps, due to the fact that a specially designed wrench is needed to utilize the same.
The devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,924,493 and 4,480,511 also are designed to lock a socket onto an extension member and are capable of doing so without the use of a specially designed wrench. The devices shown in these patents can be utilized with substantially any known socket wrench. The design of the first-mentioned patent, however, does not provide a positive lock on the socket. It would appear that with sufficient force, the socket can still cause the locking ball to move so that the socket can be removed. The second-mentioned patent includes a relatively complex locking arrangement which, because of the design thereof, requires two hands to operate the same. The extension member must be held with one hand while the other hand grasps and moves a movable collar located at the front of the member. Again, to the best of Applicant's knowledge, neither of these devices has been commerically successful.